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Sunday, November 4, 2012

Brain Food

Midterms....
ugh.
How can you eat healthy and conveniently, when you're studying all the time (not having a life)?
It's a sad dilemma.
The best thing to do is to eat to FEED YOUR BRAIN! Stay clear from processed food, sugar, and especially... excessive caffeine.

That last one is unrealistic for me, I'm a coffee fiend!

Anyway.

Dark leafy greens are loaded with vitamins (A, B6, C and K) and minerals (iron, calcium, potassium, folate, and magnesium). Kale is a great source of these, along with carotenoids and flavonoids which are antioxidants that slow aging, support a healthy immune system, and most importantly, assist in healthy brain function! Eating an abundance of these during studying will help you from getting sluggish and with help you keep alert so you can retain information better!

Another great thing to consume for "brain food" are healthy fats (omegas 3, 6 and 9). Your brain is made of mostly fat, and needs more of what it's made of to keep functioning properly! Not to confuse processed fats and oils (avoid butter, lard, shortening, and vegetable oil/corn oil), "healthy fats" are in foods such as nuts, salmon, eggs, and avocados. Eating these healthy fats come with a load of health benefits besides healthy brain function, but consuming healthy fat with dark leafy greens assists in better nutrient absorption.

Here's a simple recipe to get everything you need to keep that brain going.

You can also do this with some fresh kale. Sautee with the same ingredients! Delicious and nourishing.

I packed myself some apple cinnamon bars from the bulk section at my local health food store, some tahini, and the toasty spiced almonds. Travels easily, and doesn't have to stay cold or anything. Especially when your bag is full of text books and notes.

This was my lunch for midterm line-up break that I had. (Trig/college algebra midterm and Microbiology midterm back to back!) Kept me satisfied so I could stay focused for the day!